Jets head coach Claude Noel figures his four players who cracked Olympic rosters will come back to Winnipeg better players.

He’s probably trying to find a way to get the whole roster to Sochi, but he’ll have to settle for Olli Jokinen, Blake Wheeler, Michael Frolik and Ondrej Pavelec playing at hockey’s highest level for two weeks.

Jokinen, who will play in his fourth Olympics for Finland, became the fourth and final Jets player to crack his respective country’s roster on Tuesday. Pavelec and Frolik were named to the Czech Republic roster on Monday, while Wheeler was appointed to the U.S. squad last week.

“It’s great opportunity for all of them,” Noel said. “Everybody knows about the Canadian roster, but everybody’s happy for all the guys going there. That’s a special event. It’s great experience. It’s great for the players. You get a lot out of it.

“Being with other good players is really a good lesson as well. A lot of elite players. Watch how they play, how they react. And a big pressure situation. Who can perform under that type of pressure? That’s big pressure. You remember that overtime game. That’s major, major pressure. There’s a lot on the line.”

One player who won’t be experiencing the Olympics is Jets captain Andrew Ladd, who attended the team’s orientation camp last August but got the unfortunate call from Canadian officials on Tuesday morning telling him he didn’t make the team. It went to voicemail, which was probably best.

“There’s a lot of great talent in this country and a lot of great players,” Ladd said. “Me, I don’t think I’ve played up to my standards, so I guess I didn’t really have an expectation to be named. We hope they bring back gold this year.”

Jokinen, Pavelec and Frolik all knew for a while they were Olympic-bound, so they weren’t exactly jumping for joy on Tuesday. Jokinen was especially straight-faced when asked about trying to add to the silver medal he snagged in 2006 and the bronze he won in 2010.

“It is exciting, but at the same time we play hockey,” Jokinen said. “It’s not like we play for Olympic Games. We play for winning the Stanley Cup, and right now we’re here. When it’s time to focus on Olympics, you focus on Olympics, but that’s not until five more weeks.”

Pavelec was part of the Czech’s 2010 team in Vancouver, but he was behind Tomas Vokoun on the depth chart. This time around he’ll be their No. 1 netminder.

“The Olympics are probably the biggest thing in Czech, and I was lucky that I was able to be on the team in 2010 in Vancouver,” Pavelec said. “It was a great experience and just the atmosphere there, it’s pretty cool. I’m happy to be on the team, and it means a lot to me.”

He will also get to represent his country with his childhood friend, Frolik, playing in front of him.

“I’m happy for him. He absolutely deserves it,” Pavelec said. “He’s one of the best players. He’s going to be a key guy.”

Pavelec and Frolik are two of a half dozen players on the Czech roster who are from their hometown of Kladno, so there will be plenty of familiarity on the team that won’t be expected to do much in Russia.

“It’s something special,” Frolik said. “Everybody knows each other. We’re going to have a good group there. Hopefully it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be an experience you never forget.”

Noel doesn’t expect Ladd will need an adjustment period to get over any disappointment he might about not being named to the Canadian team.

“I don’t think he’s going to play any differently,” Noel said. “He’s realistic to what goes on. There’s a lot of good players in Canada that you’re up against.

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Jokinen makes it 4 Jets going to Olympics

Jets head coach Claude Noel figures his four players who cracked Olympic rosters will come back to Winnipeg better players.

He’s probably trying to find a way to get the whole roster to Sochi, but he’ll have to settle for Olli Jokinen, Blake Wheeler, Michael Frolik and Ondrej Pavelec playing at hockey’s highest level for two weeks.

Jokinen, who will play in his fourth Olympics for Finland, became the fourth and final Jets player to crack his respective country’s roster on Tuesday. Pavelec and Frolik were named to the Czech Republic roster on Monday, while Wheeler was appointed to the U.S. squad last week.

“It’s great opportunity for all of them,” Noel said. “Everybody knows about the Canadian roster, but everybody’s happy for all the guys going there. That’s a special event. It’s great experience. It’s great for the players. You get a lot out of it."